Former prime minister John Howard has taken aim at Penny Wong in a brutal rebuke over her controversial endorsement of a future Palestinian state.
The Foreign Affairs Minister revealed the Australian government’s desire for the future recognition of a Palestinian state while addressing the ANU’s National Security College on Tuesday evening.
Senator Wong said while an urgent ceasefire was necessary in order for the conflict between Israel and Hamas to end, a two-state solution was the only way to sustain long-term peace in the region.
The minister’s comments came under heavy scrutiny from the opposition which declared it a poorly timed statement as the war in Gaza is ongoing.
Mr Howard joined in on the attack in an exclusive interview with Sky News Australia host Erin Molan set to air on Friday in full.
“I think this government – and Penny Wong in particular – has demonstrably failed to act in the right way to the attack on Israel on the 7th of October last year,” Mr Howard said.
“There were more Jews killed in that attack than in any incident since the Holocaust.
“I am just staggered that the government didn’t from the get-go say whatever differences we have, we must never ever sound as though we don’t care about the re-emergence of anti-Semitism.”
The former Liberal leader's stinging criticism of the Foreign Affairs Minister comes after the current Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton claimed Senator Wong's comments had "weakened" Australia's international standing.
“It is the most reckless act of a Foreign Minister I have seen in my 22 years in the Parliament," he said during an address at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday.
“Hamas vowed to repeat their savagery many times over until Israel is annihilated and the Jews of Israel are driven into the sea. This reality makes the Foreign Minister’s remarks last night utterly illogical, ill-timed and inappropriate.
“For a crass domestic political win, Penny Wong has irreparably damaged our relations with our ally Israel.”
Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said while he understood Senator Wong's speech was well-intentioned, it was not the time to make such a strong declaration just six months on from Hamas' brutal attack on Israel.
Mr Ryvchin said publicly calling for the recognition of Palestinian statehood at a time when the conflict is still raging in Gaza was the wrong signal to send to violent forces.
“The very notion that we should right now be talking about a two-state solution, about statehood for the Palestinians, just six months after one of the most unspeakable atrocities of modern times," he told Sky News Australia's Laura Jayes on Wednesday.
"It really rewards that sort of violence and it sends a horrible signal to rogue actors and terrorist forces around the world that acts of ultra violence could lead to political transformation and that makes the world a more dangerous place.”
With Hamas currently in power in Palestine, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley called for a stronger stance from the government and further condemnation of Hamas' actions in the October 7 attacks and in the months that followed, claiming Senator Wong's comments would only be "emboldening the terrorists".
The full interview with John Howard will air on Sky News Australia’s Erin at 5pm on Friday.
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2024-04-11 02:15:00Z
CBMi2wFodHRwczovL3d3dy5za3luZXdzLmNvbS5hdS9hdXN0cmFsaWEtbmV3cy9wb2xpdGljcy9kZW1vbnN0cmFibHktZmFpbGVkLWpvaG4taG93YXJkLXNpbmdsZXMtb3V0LWZvcmVpZ24tbWluaXN0ZXItcGVubnktd29uZy1pbi1hdHRhY2stb24tbGFib3JzLWhhbmRsaW5nLW9mLWlzcmFlbGhhbWFzLWNvbmZsaWN0L25ld3Mtc3RvcnkvYWJjMGIzYjhhZWVmMDZlMzNiOTQ3NzQ5YjBmZmJkZjfSAQA
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